Crusher apparatus



March 17, 1970 c. D. SCHELLBERG 3,501,100

' CRUSHER, APPARATUS Filed Nov. '7. 1967 o INVE y wdwmwww y 1 52 B%% WW2 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,501,100 CRUSHER APPARATUS Charles D. Schellberg, 491 Terrace St, Meadville, Pa. 16335 Filed Nov. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 681,191 Int. Cl. B02c 13/09, 13/28 U.S. Cl. 241-91 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to crusher apparatus, and more particularly to cage mill type disintegrators of a centrifugal impact type by which the material to be crushed or broken first enters through an opening into the innermost part of the structure and is radially propelled by the cage rotation outside the cage structure and inside the crusher housing which contains the material movement.

The present invention represents an improvement over conventional crusher apparatus as shown for example in U.S. Patent No. 3,057,564 and 2,246,902. As shown in these patents, typical cage structures as employed in the prior art have incorporated relatively complex arrangements including a large number of parts which must be assembled in operative relationship with respect to one another.

In addition, this type of prior art construction incorporates an arrangement wherein the pin means thereof are confined between the ring portions and extend between the ring or end portions of the cage structure with the radially outermost portions thereof disposed either flush with or radially inwardly of the outer periphery of the associated ring portions at either s de thereof. As a result, during operation of the apparatus, material to be crushed rebounds from breaker plates disposed radially outwardly of the cage structure, or in those cases where no breaker plates are provided, the material rebounds from the surrounding housing, and such rebounding material contacts the ring portions and merely rubs along the outer periphery thereof and does not come into contact with the pin means which performs the crushing function. Accordingly, the efiiciency of operation is reduced.

It will also be apparent that in arrangements such as shown in the above-mentioned prior art patent, the pin means do not extend the full width of the cage structure, and accordingly, the crushing area of the pin means is limited to that area between the ring and disc portions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The crusher apparatus of the present invention incorporates a center-feed type cage structure comprising a one-piece homogeneous cast body means. This type of construction eliminates the large number of parts and the assembly problems attendant with cage structures as commonly employed in the prior art.

In the present invention, the cage structure includes a plurality of pin means extending between spaced ring portions, these pin means being so arranged that the radially 3,501,100 Patented Mar. 17, 1970 outermost portions thereof are disposed radially outwardly of the outer periphery of the adjacent ring portions. Accordingly, rebounding material within the crusher will strike the outwardly extending pin means to thereby provide better crushing characteristics to the apparatus and increasing the output thereof.

Additionally, in the present invention the pin means extend substantially the entire width of the cage structure thereby providing a larger area to the pin means for contacting the material to be crushed and increasing the efficiency of the apparatus.

A further advantage of the arrangement of the present invention is that the over-all weight of the cage structure may be reduced while providing increased efiiciency.

An object of the present invention is to provide new and novel crusher apparatus incorporating a unique cage structure which is of simple construction and of less weight than comparable cage structures employed in the prior art, and which at the same time provide better crushing characteristics and greater output than prior art arrangements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of crusher apparatus incorporating the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 22 of FIG; 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a front view on an enlarged scale of the novel cage structure of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially along line 44 of FIG. 3 looking in the direction'of the arrows; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on anenlarged scale taken substantially along line 55 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, as seen especially in FIGS. 1 and 2, a housing indicated generally by reference numeral 10 is provided, this housing being supported upon a base 12. A pedestal 14 is also supported by the base and extends upwardly and supports a pair of pillow block assemblies 16 and 18 which serve to rotatably support an elongated shaft 20 having a drive pulley 24 connected to the outer end thereof. This drive pulley may be connected with any suitable driving means such as an electric motor or the like for rotating the pulley and associated shaft at the desired speed.

The opposite end of the shaft 20 extends through a suitable means such as a stufling box 26 and has a cage hub 30 suitably secured thereo. This cage hub includes an annular flange portion 32 which is suitably secured to the cage structure indicated by reference numeral 40 as set forth hereinafter.

The housing includes a side wall 42 having a central opening 44 formed therein, and a hopper means 46 is provided for receiving material and feeding the material through the opening 44 into the central interior of the cage structure in the usual manner.

As seen most clearly in 'FIGS. 2 through 5 inclusive, the cage structure of the present invention comprises a one-piece homogeneous cast body means formed of a suitable wear-resistant material. The cage structure includes a pair of spaced ring portions 50 and 52 which lie in planes disposed substantially parallel with one another,

tion substantially parallel with the axis of rotation of the cage structure, which as seen in FIG. 2 would be the axis of rotation of shaft 20. The pin means are spaced circumferentially from one another about the outer portion of the cage structure.

As seen especially in FIGS. 3-5 inclusive, each of the pin means is substantially U-shaped in cross-sectional configuration and has a slot 60 formed in the outer surface thereof and extending substantially parallel with the axis of rotation of the cage structure. This arrangement is such that each of the pin means defines a pair of spaced leg portions 62 and 64.

As seen especially in FIGS. 3 and 5, each of the pin means is so arranged that at least approximately one-half the radial dimension thereof extends outwardly of the outer periphery of the associated ring portions. This assures that a substantial portion of each of the pin means extends outwardly of the adjacent ring portions for engagement with material which may rebound from the surrounding housing or breaker plates as the case may be.

It should also be noted as seen especially in FIGS. 2 and 4 that each of the pin means extends substantially the full width of the cage structure to thereby provide the maximum area of pin means for contact with material to be crushed.

As seen particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ring portion 50 has a central hole 70 formed therein for receiving material to be crushed. On the other hand, the ring portion 52 is substantially continuous in a radial direction so as to define a closed face cage in this form of the invention. It should be understood that the invention concepts of the present invention may also be readily incorporated in an open face cage structure if so desired.

In the closed face cage structure as illustrated, the ring portion 52 includes a central machined recess 74 formed in the outwardly facing surface thereof for snugly receiving the portion 32 of the cage hub to thereby accurately position the cage structure with respect to the caging hub and the associated shaft.

The ring portion 52 has a plurality of recesses 80 which may be circular in cross-sectional configuration formed in the inwardly facing surface thereof, each of these recesses being in communication with aligned holes formed in ring portion 52 and the portion 32 of the cage hub for receiving square head bolts 82 extending through the aligned holes with the heads of the bolts disposed within the recesses 80. Suitably nuts 86 are threaded on the opposite threaded ends of the bolts 82 for holding the cage structure in operative position on the portion 32 of the cage hub.

It is apparent from the foregoing that there is provided according to the present invention new and novel crusher apparatus incorporating a cage structure of simple construction and which requires less weight than corresponding prior art arrangements, and further which provides better crushing characteristics and greater output.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, and since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims, all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents are therefore intended to be embraced by those claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In center-feed crusher apparatus, a cage structure comprising a one-piece homogeneous cast body means defining spaced ring portions at opposite sides of the cage structure and disposed in planes substantially parallel with one another, one of said ring portions having a central hole therein for receiving material to be crushed, and a plurality of pin means extending between said ring portions in a direction substantially parallel with the axis of rotation of said cage structure, said pin means being spaced circumferentially from one another about the outer portion of the cage structure, the radially outermost portions of said pin means being disposed radially outwardly of the outer periphery of said ring portions and each of said pin means extending substantially the full width of the 'cage structure.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein at least aproximately one-half of the radial dimension of each of said pin means is disposed radially outwardly of the outer periphery of said ring portions.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said pin means has a slot in the outer surface thereof extending substantially parallel with said axis to define a pair of spaced outer leg portions on each of said pin means.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said pin means is of substantially U-shaped cross-sectional configuration.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein at least approximately one-half of the radial dimension of each of said pin means is disposed radially outwardly of the outer periphery of said ring portions, and wherein each of said pin means extends substantially the full width of said cage structure, and wherein each of said pin means has a slot in the outer surface thereof extending substantially parallel with said axis to define a pair of spaced outer leg portions on each of said pin means.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein each of said pin means is substantially U-shaped in cross-sectional configuration.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the other of said ring portions is substantially continuous in a radial direction to define a closed face cage.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 192,747 7/1877 Drake 2419l X 981,001 l/1911 Porter 241-91 2,211,570 8/194'0 Kennedy et a1 241-188 X 2,144,384 1/1939 Mikan 241188 X 2,246,902 6/ 1941 Smith 24191 2,360,562 10/ 1944 Hall 241-188 X 2,867,387 1/1959 Dodds et a1. 3,057,564 10/ 1962 Bridgewater 2419l FRANK T. YOST, Primary Examiner U-S- C X-R. 241-188 191 

